PICK HER UP
by Analese-Evans
Summary: It's seventh year, and James has one last chance to get Lily to go out with him or he has to give up on her. Will a plan of Sirius' that has the support of Remus actually work in his favor?
1. THE DEAL IS STRUCK

A teenage boy with messy black hair and a red hand print on his cheek returned to his compartment. His hazel eyes revealed nothing besides confusion. He had just told the girl of his dreams that he wanted to try and become friends.

James Potter thought he had made a good impression on Lily Evans. He hadn't asked her out or hexed anyone; all he had done was try to set a good example, seeing as he was head boy this year.

James opened the door to join his friends. He sat down next to a boy with long, black hair and blue-gray eyes, Sirius Black.

"What's up, Prongs?" a tired boy with sandy-brown hair and blue eyes, Remus Lupin, asked.

"Why does she hate me, Moony?" James inquired.

"Do you want the short list or the long, Mate?" Sirius joked.

"Well, what exactly did you say to her, James?" Remus ignored Sirius with ease.

"I just said, 'Hey, Lily, I was thinking that since we have to work together quite a bit this year, maybe we could try and be friends. What do you think?' Then she just slapped me." James explained.

"Did she say why?" Remus questioned his friend.

"No, she just said that she hates me more than words can say." James mumbled, "Direct quote."

"Wow, and that's a lot of words considering she's probably read the dictionary." Sirius was the only one who laughed at his joke.

"Well, any ideas?" James was agitated.

"Why not try pick-up lines?" Sirius suggested.

"Lily's too smart to fall for one of those." James pointed out.

"Actually, I agree with Padfoot." Remus interjected, receiving looks of astonishment and disbelief. "Think about it: there are hundreds of pick-up lines. Odds are that one will catch her eye, in a good way."

"Okay, so here's the plan: Prongs, here, can't speak to Evans except for using a line, for a week. And if you haven't gotten her by then, Mate, you never will." Sirius added.

"Fine, but it won't be easy if I have to move on after almost six years." James agreed.


	2. IT BEGINS

That night, Lily and James were shown to the heads' common room and dormitories after dinner. Lily wasn't speaking to James, and he was imagining her reaction to the words about to leave his mouth.

When they were left alone, James took a chance.

"Hey, would you mind escorting me to the hospital wing?" James asked her.

"Why?" Lily questioned.

"Because my heart stopped when I saw your face," he braced himself for the explosion, which never came.

Instead, much to James' disappointment, she laughed in his face.

"Are you serious?!"

James nodded slowly, entirely confused.

Lily chuckled again as she climbed up to bed.

Once the coast was cleared, James pulled out a roll of parchment and crossed off the first two lines with a sigh.


	3. DAY 1: BREAKFAST

"Hi, Lily, do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?" James asked at breakfast the next morning.

"Walk by again, but this time, don't stop." Lily responded flatly.

"Harsh." Sirius crossed out another line on the parchment right as the bell to go to class rang.


	4. DAY 1: LUNCH

"Hey, Lils, I was wondering if you had a map," James smirked, this time at lunch, "Because I keep getting lost in your eyes."

"Then I guess I should blink." Lily replied without hesitation.

"She's breaking all my best lines." Sirius complained.


	5. DAY 1: DINNER

"Your lips look so lonely. Would they like to meet mine?" James used at dinner.

"I don't date outside my species."

"There goes another one." Remus muttered, reaching for another roll.


	6. DAY 2: BREAKFAST

"I wish we lived in the Arctic where the nights last forever," was the choice for Tuesday breakfast.

"You're forgetting that yours would be cold and lonely," the snappy response.

"And again," Sirius groaned, smacking his fist to the table.


	7. DAY 2: LUNCH

"You must be a parking ticket, because you've got fine written all over you."

"I didn't like the approach, let's see the departure." Lily returned at lunch.

"Does she have a retort like that for everything I say?" James questioned his friends once out of earshot.

"Probably," Sirius responded with frustration etched all over his face.

"She's like a Bludger with that sharp tongue; painful and surprising." James murmured, heading for Transfiguration with his friends.


	8. DAY 2: DINNER

"Is there an airport nearby, or is that my heart taking off?" It was dinner on the second day of seven.

"It better make an emergency landing because I'm not interested." Lily didn't even look up.

"Ouch," Remus winced for his friend.


	9. DAY 3: BREAKFAST

"If I followed you home, would you keep me, Flower?" James inquired the next morning.

"My parents don't allow me to keep pests." Lily stated in between bites.

"She's getting angrier." Remus observed from over his own plate of eggs and bacon.


	10. DAY 3: LUNCH

"You know, I can see forever in your eyes, Lily."

"Really, well all I can see is never in yours." She took a bite of her turkey sandwich.

"Bloody Hell," Sirius complained.

"You have to admit, though, the responses are quite clever." Remus pointed out, obtaining a glare from Sirius.


	11. DAY 3: DINNER

"Let's make like fabric softener and snuggle." James winked at dinner.

"Why don't you make like a shoe and STEP." Lily spat back.

"Enjoy your corridor patrolling tonight, Prongs." Sirius jested, receiving a collective glare from his two mates.


	12. DAY 3: PATROLLING

At nine o'clock, the two heads met down in their common room. Lily was dreading the two hours of pick-up lines she had to endure, while James stressed over her starting a conversation.

The fears had been empty-hearted, as the two hours were spent in uncomfortable silence. James was seriously regretting his decision of not being able to say anything besides pick-up lines to his dream girl.


	13. DAY 4: BREAKFAST

All of the previous night's thoughts forgotten, James continued his meal time mission at breakfast.

"I've got a good sized bed and I'm tired of sleeping alone." James hinted to Lily.

"Try a pet." She retorted, exasperated of his stupid lines.

"That was cold." Sirius scowled, taking a large bite out of an innocent waffle.


	14. DAY 4: LUNCH

"This must be your lucky day, Love, I'm single." This came during the fourth day at lunch.

"And that you will stay, Potter."

"Damn it! She did it again." Sirius frowned.


	15. DAY 4: DINNER

"Well, Lils, all this can be yours for one low, low price." James smirked.

"What's that, my dignity and sanity? Bloody hell, Potter, I wouldn't want it if I was paid to take it." Lily shouted.

"She's more agitated now than she was in fifth year." Remus breathed, taking a bite of steak.


	16. DAY 5: BREAKFAST

"Hey, Flower, what's your sign?" James inquired with a smirk.

"No trespassing. Violators will be persecuted." Lily glared, stabbing her lunch with a fork.

"What is her problem?" questioned a member of James' fan club.


	17. DAY 5: LUNCH

"Hey, Flower, what's your sign?" James inquired with a smirk.

"No trespassing. Violators will be persecuted." Lily glared, stabbing her lunch with a fork.

"What is her problem?" questioned a member of James' fan club.


	18. DAY 5: DINNER

"If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together." James chose Friday night.

"I'd put F and U together."

"Oh, that was uncalled for." Sirius stated with his mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"So was that sight, Padfoot." Disgust graced Remus' face.


	19. DAY 6: BREAKFAST

"I lost my phone number, could I have yours?" James had just two days left.

"Of course," Lily smiled on that bright Saturday morning.

The Great Hall grew silent at those two words and all eyes fell on the Head students.

"Honestly?" James questioned as his hopes soared through the roof.

"Sure, it's 1-800-YOU-WISH." Lily told him.

The hall burst into laughter as James' expression fell and Lily walked out.


	20. IT ENDS

James spent the remainder of his Saturday in his dormitory, skipping both meals. Lily noticed this and began to feel guilty. Just as she was about to knock to apologize, she heard three distinct voices.

"Think about it, Mate. After today's response, you'll never get her to go out with you." Remus reasoned.

"Moony's right, Prongs, as usual." Sirius cut in. "Just forget about Evans."

"Don't you think I've tried?!" James exploded. "But it's impossible to forget the girl you see every night in your dreams, the girl that constantly invades your thoughts, the girl you want to be with so bad that it makes your mouth dry and your heart beat faster and slower at the exact same time when all you do is think about her!"

Lily didn't need to hear anymore. She ran from the common room just in time to escape the watchful eyes of Remus Lupin.

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It had been ten minutes since James' outburst and no one had uttered a syllable. This was when a barn owl flew through the open window and landed on the desk. Sirius grabbed the envelope from its beak and the bird left as suddenly as it had come.

"It's for you, James." Sirius voiced into the silence.

James gripped the letter and read the unfamiliar script.

'James, Meet me by the lake under the oak tree at eight.'

"Who's it from?" Remus wanted to know.

"It doesn't say, but obviously, it's from a girl. Look at the handwriting." James replied.

"What does she want?" Sirius inquired.

"She wants to meet me in about seven minutes, I've got to go." James grabbed his wand and walked out the door.

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James reached the oak tree with two minutes to spare. What he found there was completely unexpected: under the tree sat the one and only Lily Evans.

"Hey," James mumbled as he approached her.

"Hi, James, listen, do you mind if we take a walk?" the girl asked.

"Sure," the head boy answered as he helped his equal to her feet.

"I heard what you said after dinner, in your room." Lily told him as the pair walked around the lake.

James looked extremely nervous and avoided eye contact. Lily pressed on.

"And I thought it was very sweet." She smiled at the look of pure shock in his face. "But I don't think I can just ignore everything that's happened over the past six years." Glancing at him, Lily noticed a rather disappointed James. "But, maybe we could try being friends." Lily offered with a small smile.

James nodded and grasped the extended hand. "Agreed," he stated with a grin.

Lily returned the gesture and launched into casual conversation.

All the while, James couldn't help but think that his plan was beginning to work, that Lily was finally coming around.

An hour and a half later, the two teens returned to their common room.

"Good night, James." Lily waved with a small smile.

"Night, Lily." He responded as he made for his door.

A gentle hand appeared on his arm, holding him in place. James turned around to find Lily surprisingly close. He made to back away, but the hand didn't budge. Instead, Lily leaned forward and kissed James' cheek gently.

His heart raced and a pleasant chill shot through his body.

"Thanks for meeting me tonight, James." Lily whispered, her warm breath tickling his ear.

"Anytime," James breathed, lost in his own little world of happily-ever-afters with one Lily Evans.

END


	21. EPILOGUE

Epilogue It was a cold winter night in December. To be more specific, it was December 31, New Years Eve. The Gryffindor seventh years were enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime party in their tower. The common room was covered in streamers to celebrate the holiday to start anew. But three individuals were not finished with their plans for that evening's celebration. Sirius, Remus, and James had one more trick up their sleeves before midnight. The big surprise was that they weren't the only ones with a plot to make this night one to remember. Lily sat with the Marauders by the fireplace, enjoying a nice butterbeer with her friends. It was one hour until the New Year would arrive, and that was when her own plan would head into action. "So, boys, what do you have planned for tonight?" Lily asked. "Don't worry; it's nothing that you won't enjoy, Lily-kins." Sirius replied with a pet name only he dared to use. "Sir, please enlighten us as to why she should trust anything you say after that stunt you pulled on Christmas?" James questioned. "Because everyone will love tonight's plan and you know it, Prongs." Remus stated with a smirk. "True and it is due to start soon, my friends." Sirius looked to the clock on the wall that was counting down the time. The conversation continued similarly to that until there were five minutes left on that same clock. As the Marauders got up, Lily stayed put and was addressed by one in particular. "You aren't going to welcome the New Year with us, Lils?" Sirius inquired with his best puppy-dog eyes used for only his newest friend. "Oh, are you going to let me in on your little prank tonight, boys?" the girl responded with the same innocence. "Well, we kind of need to get going here, Lil." Remus continued. "So, come on, I want our first New Year as friends to be spent together." James grasped Lily's hand and dragged her up to the boys' dormitory. "Wow, this place is actually clean. Wait Remus lives here." Lily joked, "Never mind." "Oh, ha-ha," Sirius returned sarcastically. "Oh, I know, I am funny, aren't I?" Lily went on. As the count down started, the three young men took their positions at the window, Lily right beside James. "5-4-3-2-1" the numbers echoed up the staircases. As soon as she heard 'one', Lily turned to James and shouted, "Happy New Year." At this statement, two Marauders went one to cast fireworks into the night sky in celebration. One of the three troublemakers was a little occupied. Lily's plan had worked perfectly as she was now receiving her midnight kiss from James Potter. James was so taken aback that he didn't have time to react by the time it was over. "Wow," was all James had time to say before his lips were incapable of speech once again. "Aw, would you two get a room?" Sirius complained with a grin plastered on his face. "Only if you pay for it," Lily supplied before James decided to return to his previous spot on her lips. END 


End file.
